- What are the biggest opportunities you see for HR tech in transforming the people function?
The biggest opportunities I see for HR tech in transforming the people function are for automation to take over a lot of the mundane and repetitive administration tasks, freeing HR professionals up to focus on strategy and improving employee engagement and experience, which will add more value for organisations as a whole.
I also see AI integration into people systems bringing huge benefits for HR professionals. A lot of the time, HR are expected to know everything about anything that can fall under HR’s remit, for example, qualifications. I don’t think there’s any person, organisation, or body in the world that knows, first, all of the courses offered globally, and second, how they equate to the qualifications required for a role in the country that they’re hiring in, however, with the help of AI, a lot of information can be obtained quickly in this respect, assisting recruiters and HR professionals in determining if a candidate holds the equivalent qualifications needed. There are many more opportunities for AI to transform the people function, these include using Sentiment Analysis in Employee engagement surveys to gauge morale, screening CVs to reduce potential unconscious bias, and reviewing Job Descriptions to improve their inclusivity.
- Many companies struggle to streamline HR operations. What are the key steps HR leaders should take to ensure efficiency without losing the human touch?
The first step is to get a full understanding of the existing HR operations. Going back to basics, taking the time to analyse all processes fully, and engaging with all of the stakeholders involved to establish why they are being done, what they achieve, and how they are being done, is the first step.
Once HR leaders have a full understanding of the existing operations, they can begin to identify better ways to streamline operations and put in place a proposed strategy. It’s important to always keep the end user at the forefront of the mind when making improvements. It is equally important to engage the stakeholders throughout the change process so that they can become advocates of the change and assist with gaining buy-in from others. They can also provide invaluable feedback that can help with flagging potential issues. By following these steps, people are involved at all stages, and the end user is at the forefront, which maintains the human touch.
- What common HR challenges do you see across sectors, and how can technology help address them?
Most sectors are struggling with having the right talent, and this is posing a multitude of challenges. Technology can be highly effective in addressing the issues currently being faced with talent acquisition, retention, and development. A talent strategy which incorporates a skills audit and identifies the future talent requirements can assist HR leaders to add great value. There’s a great opportunity to leverage the benefits of AI and incorporate it into processes and systems where it can help bridge the gaps in talent pipelines by attracting new talent and supporting with development of existing talent, which in turn engages that talent and aids retention.
- How can HR teams ensure that digital transformation efforts lead to meaningful improvements in employee experience and not just efficiency gains?
There are a couple of key things here. The first is to have consistent engagement and communication, explaining why the changes are happening, what the changes are, and how this will benefit the employees and the organisation. The second is to always view things from the end user’s perspective, make sure to keep a focus on ease of use, and ensure that improvements are made to be two-fold so that the employee experience is improved alongside achieving greater efficiency. I find that laying out the pros and cons also helps, giving a fuller picture can aid with addressing issues early on and increasing buy-in. Carrying out more frequent, smaller employee engagement surveys at key stages throughout a digital transformation process can help HR teams gauge employee sentiment.
- What advice would you give to HR leaders hesitant about embracing AI-driven solutions in their talent and workforce strategies?
Treat AI like you would treat anything else, carry out your due diligence and start small. Maybe consider having two goals: the first being the ultimate vision, where AI-driven solutions are fully integrated into your talent and workforce strategies, and the second being smaller, with more manageable objectives that gradually introduce AI into various areas of your workflows as these are actionable and more achievable within a shorter time frame. Also, remember that you don’t have to do this alone; many HR leaders are reaching out for some external expertise and support in this area. AI is vast and unknown to many, and it’s only natural to be hesitant, so you are not alone, but this is only going to get bigger and become more important in the future, so you will need to embrace it at some point, the sooner the better.
- What do you see as the key trends in HR leadership today, and how should HR professionals prepare for the future?
HR is under increasing pressure to demonstrate its value in a financial respect, which is always going to be difficult, given that we are not like other areas of the business. HR leaders are working hard to demonstrate how their initiatives have benefitted the organisation financially, and to do that, data is key. HR leaders need to ensure they are collecting the right data that can be used for data insights so that they are able to demonstrate ROI.
HR leaders are also becoming increasingly involved with ESG. Historically, HR has played a key role in the Social and Governance aspects, as these have often fallen under HR’s remit. Now, the Environmental component is also part of the equation. For many HR professionals, this is a relatively new area, but with research showing that younger generations increasingly prefer to work for organisations that prioritise environmental responsibility, it’s important for HR to stay informed and get up to speed with the Environmental component. By doing so, they can offer valuable insights within their organisations and gain expertise in an area that affects us all, whilst also adding another string to their bow.
- HR often faces resistance when implementing change. How do you navigate stakeholder buy-in, especially at the executive level?
Communication and stakeholder engagement are critical for any change. Navigating stakeholder buy-in can be tricky, especially with executives, because they hold a lot of influence and are usually under time constraints, too. I navigate this by providing a proposal which gives a concise overview explaining the reasons for and the benefits of the change. After sharing the proposal, I open an avenue for timed feedback and provide details of where any questions should be directed, and further information can be found. Therefore, engaging stakeholders before the change is implemented which offers them an opportunity to be part of the process. They can also provide valuable observations and potentially flag potential issues not previously identified. Following this, it’s important to address any concerns and then to provide regular updates and further opportunities for input throughout the change process. By doing so, all of those concerned, including executives, have been intrinsically involved, and you are more likely to garner support and obtain their buy-in.
- Finally, if you had to give one key piece of advice to HR professionals looking to elevate their role within an organisation, what would it be?
My advice would be to focus on continually demonstrating how you are a strategic partner within your organisation.
There seems to be a lot of misinformation and negative opinions of the HR profession circulating on social media of late, which undermines the work we do and can be disheartening and frustrating for HR professionals. Therefore, it’s very important to align HR initiatives with the overall business goals and demonstrate how people strategies contribute directly to the company’s success. Focusing on talent and employee engagement can help demonstrate the great work that the HR profession does for everyone across the organisation. It’s also important that HR professionals continue using data and analytics to make informed decisions that show measurable results. Equally crucial is the need for HR professionals to remain adaptable to change and stay ahead of industry trends, especially in areas like technology and ESG. This should maintain relevance and help elevate their role within the organisation.
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